St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-06-28
TIE Villas RESIDENCE.

shed their radiance through the room,
and you will see that the furniture of
this reception chamber of the house is
noticeably transformations in appear
ance, and, TO be frank. just enough
worn to surprise you little. The pro-
sale fact is that both the house and fur
niture belong to a prosperous person,
who is a member of the widely-known
Smith family, and was rented by Mr..
Villas just after Senator Sabin, of Min
neSOta, left it two years ago. Its pres
ent occupant took it temporarily with
the intention of moving into house of
his own when he had time to buy one,
but as he has never had time to do so.
he is still a tenant, and likely to be for
some time to come. You do not have
to wait long before Gen. Villas
enters the room, and puts you at
your ease Immediately by his pleasant
bearing and frank manner. He is of
medium height and sturdy build, with
good head of black curly hair, just
Sprinkled with the reminders of age,
and pushed back gracefully from a
broad, white forehead. The general
wears full beard, but has good features
and earnest, penetrating, brown eyes.
He wears an ordinary blue cutaWay suit
that could be duplicated for S25, the vest
being cut low enough to show wide eX-
panse of immaculate linen and plain,
black silk neck-tie.
The postmaster general leads very
regular life. and there are few of the
vast army of clerks under his control
who spend as much time over desk as
does their chief. He rises between 7:30
and 8 o'clock, and Immediately
after breakfast walks down to
his office, a distance of a mile,
where he arrives punctually at 9 o'clock,
the same hour at which the employees
are required to be at their desks. From
until 6. two hours after the clerks
have started homeward, he is busy, with
the exception of few minutes taken
for luncheon. This meal is a most SIM
pie one, consisting of glass of milk and
a sandwich, exactly the same bill of fare
partaken of by Secretary Bayard for his
lunch. From to O'Clock are the Wis
itorS' hours, during which an army of
OfficeSeekerS, mostly women pass in and
out of his Office in quick succession,
most of them with look of diSappoint-
ment on their faces. But enough of
officeseekerS. They are seen every
where in Westinghouse the White
house, at all the bureaus, at the official
receptions, on the streets, in every
place. Their name is legion. They are
coming always and never go. At6O'clock
he has done the work of half dozen
ordinary men, he invariably walks if
the weather will permit. The fact is,
he walks almost everywhere, as he
doesn't keep any vehicle. When he
does ride it is in the government coupe,
which he generally uses in going to
cabinet meetings, Tuesdays and Fri
days. After dinner, which is eaten at Z
O'Clock, and half hours
CHAT WITH HIS FAMILY,
he goes up to his den on the second
floor and works there until II O'Clock.
This room, in which half of the life of
the subject of this sketch is spent, is a
large one, comfortably but plainly fur
nished, and combining all the require
ments of bed room and home office. 1t
is located in the rear of his wife's room.
but the bay window commands good
view of the street and Thomas circle,
while it makes most comfort
able summer apartment. Besides
the bed, there is a sofa, three OF
four easy chairs, large fold
ing desk and a half dozen pine shelves
filled with books, all of which have
been read and re-read by their celebrated
owner. l noticed among them full sets
of Dickens, Bulwer's and SCOTS
novels, several of Bret Harte'S, and a
well-thumbed copy of Virgil. On ask
ing the general who was his favorite
author he smiled and said: swell, that
is hard to say. like Bulwer as well as
any of them. but they are all good. l
have read most of them through several
times. l am very fond of reading,
though i don't have much time to in
dulge myself in that respect. But l
give myself from half hour to an hour
every night to read just before retiring.
Last winter / read Virgil over again in
that way"
The Villas family is delightful one,
thoroughly home-Ioving and not over
fond of the wild social gayeties that dis
tract this gay capital during the season.